Belynda
A feminine name derived from French meaning "beautiful snaky one".
Name Census estimates that about 647 living Americans carry the first name Belynda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Belynda today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Belynda births was 1964 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Belynda. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
647
~ 1 in 529,759 Americans
Peak year
1964
39 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
2013 SSA rank
#16,956
Tracked since 1949
Popularity
Belynda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Belynda from the 1940s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 248 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Belynda by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Belynda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Belyndas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Belynda
The name Belynda has its origins in the Germanic languages, tracing back to the Old High German name Belinda, which was derived from the Germanic elements "bel" meaning "bright" or "shining" and "lind" meaning "soft" or "tender." It is believed to have emerged during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 8th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Belynda can be found in the 12th-century German epic poem "Das Nibelungenlied," where it is mentioned as the name of a character. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time, although its popularity may have been limited to certain regions of what is now modern-day Germany and surrounding areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Belynda. One of the earliest recorded was Belynda of Flanders (c. 1120-1182), a Flemish noblewoman who was a prominent figure in the courts of the Counts of Flanders during the 12th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Belynda von Rothenburg (c. 1240-1305), a German mystic and religious writer who was known for her spiritual visions and writings.
In the 16th century, Belynda Heyward (c. 1520-1585) was an English poet and courtier who served in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Her poetry and writings were widely circulated during her lifetime and served as an important contribution to the literary culture of the Elizabethan era.
During the 17th century, Belynda de la Vega (1605-1678) was a Spanish painter and one of the few women artists of her time to achieve significant recognition. Her works, which included portraits and religious paintings, are now housed in various museums and galleries throughout Spain.
In the 19th century, Belynda Carlisle (1819-1891) was an American author and activist who wrote extensively on women's rights and social reform. She was a prominent figure in the early stages of the women's suffrage movement in the United States and worked alongside notable figures such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Belynda throughout history, illustrating its enduring presence and the diverse backgrounds of those who have carried this name over the centuries.
People
Belynda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Belynda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Belynda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Belynda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 647 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Belynda going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 529,759 US residents.
Is Belynda a common name?
We classify Belynda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 766 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Belynda most popular?
The single biggest year for Belynda was 1964, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Belynda is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Belynda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Belynda in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.